Chapter 519: Chapter 252: Submission of the Yi Country_3
This kind of crude and backward system naturally cannot talk about centralization or any sense of identity.
And in the entire southwest region, this tribal nation’s way of playing, tribal and ethnic recognition, is in full swing.
Therefore, although there are three major barbarian countries in the southwest, Nanzhao, Dali, and Da Changhe, the core tribes of these three countries each hold only half of a county’s territory.
With this half-county territory, they radiate outwards, treating those large and small tribes as vassal states or dependent regions, forming their own governance system.
So the position of these three countries is probably similar to that of Lu Yuan’s former Heavenly Son of the Zhou Dynasty. In name, it is the common master of the world, with various princes underneath, and these princes are the bosses of their own areas.
When the Heavenly Son is strong, the vassal states will respect the Heavenly Son. But if the Heavenly Son is weak, they will disobey the king’s orders and even rebel.
Da Changhe Country is like this, within their own country, under this Heavenly Son, there are 27 small countries. Among these small countries, there are three big vassal states, similar to the position of local lords.
They are the Wu Savage Country appointed to manage the affairs of the seven eastern countries, the Hui Chuan Country in charge of the affairs of the five northern countries, and the Nongdong Country in charge of the affairs of the four southern countries.
From the regional division above, one can see that among these three local lord vassal states, the Wu Savage Country is the strongest, controlling the affairs of seven countries.
And that’s the fact.
The control area of Da Changhe Country is about two counties.
Half of the county is controlled by them, with as many as a million directly governed people and 50,000 elite soldiers. The royal family even has an Inborn Grandmaster, and their strength is extremely strong.
Of the remaining county and a half, half of the county’s eleven countries are directly controlled by Da Changhe Country, which together have nearly a million people and can provide about 100,000 barbarian soldiers to Da Changhe Country.
The remaining county is divided between Wuman, Hui Chuan, and Nong Dong countries.
Among them, the Wuman country has the largest share, with nearly half a county.
About half of this territory belongs to Wuman country’s direct jurisdiction.
If it was on the side of the Great Chu, it would probably be about the size of two prefectures.
Although it’s not large, relying on these two prefectures’ territories, the directly governed population of the Wu Savage Country is as many as 500,000, and they have raised 20,000 elite soldiers.
In the southwestern land, they count as having an extremely strong force under the three major barbarian countries.
The remaining Hui Chuan and Nong Dong countries are much weaker in strength, with only one prefecture’s territories directly governed, 200,000 people, and only 10,000 elite soldiers.
That is considered the general level.
As for the thirteen small barbarian states under these three major nations, their strength is even weaker. They basically have only three to five counties, or even only one county, with no more than a hundred thousand people, and as few as only ten or twenty thousand.
For example, the Shizong and Milu countries of the two messengers in front of them, Shizong has four counties and 80,000 people, while Milu is slightly smaller, with three counties and 70,000 people.
At their peak, the two countries could only muster ten or twenty thousand soldiers and were genuine small nations.
However, these two countries are located in the eastern part of the Great Changhe Country, under the control of the Wu Savage country.
After such calculations, the situation in the southwestern Yi region becomes much clearer.
The entire Great Changhe Country, or even including Dali and Nanzhao countries, is essentially a large tribal management system, where large tribes manage medium-sized tribes, and then medium-sized tribes manage small tribes layer by layer.
Normally, such a hierarchical enfeoffment system is quite stable as long as there are no problems at the top.
But this is only under normal circumstances.
Nothing in the world is constant, the winds and clouds change, and there is no such thing that never changes.
Just in the year before last, the situation changed.
First of all, the Lord of the Wu Savage country did not go to the capital Yangcheng of Da Changhe Country for the routine annual meeting, and then did not send a messenger to explain why.
When Da Changhe Country sent a messenger to inquire, it was even more humiliated by the Lord of the Wu Savage Country, who declared that the Wu Savage country would break away from Da Changhe Country from now on.
From then on, the seven countries of Lingdong would be independent.
Faced with such a blatant act of rebellion, as the hegemon of the Kunhai region, could Da Changhe Country bear it?
This is naturally unbearable.
So Da Changhe Country decisively sent troops, dispatched 20,000 elite soldiers, and simultaneously summoned various affiliated countries, gathering a total of 100,000 soldiers and horses to attack the Wu Savage Country.
With these mighty soldiers, Da Changhe Country was confident that the small Wu Savage country couldn’t resist.
And then…
Then shocking news came back to Xiang City.
The 100,000-strong army sent to crusade against the Wu Savage country was defeated at Qu Ecanyon, with the entire army almost wiped out, and only a few thousand remnants escaped.
The news brought back by these remnants was that there was a surprising Inborn Grandmaster on the side of the Wu Savage country, and the Nong Dong country in the south had already colluded with the Wu Savage country, stabbing them in the back on the battlefield.
It was precisely because of the appearance of the Inborn Grandmaster and the betrayal of Nong Dong country that the punitive expedition suffered such a terrible defeat.
What made Da Changhe country even more uncomfortable was that after the Wuman and Nong Dong countries joined forces, they had already gathered 100,000 troops, and now they were led by an Inborn Grandmaster.
In contrast, on their side, the 100,000-strong army was wiped out, Xiang City still had 10,000 elite soldiers, and the directly affiliated 11 small countries were still obedient, and Hui Chuan’s attitude was respectful.
But even with all these included, after the previous disastrous defeat, the Great Changhe Country could only gather a maximum of 100,000 troops.
Even with the Inborn Grandmaster of the Royal Family, they had at most equal strength as the rebel army.
Neither side can do anything to the other when entangled.
So, the war dragged on for a long time.
It has been going on from the end of last year to now, a whole year has passed, and there is no end in sight.
In this situation, countries like Da Changhe, Wuman, and Nong Dong are fine, as they have a strong foundation and can hold on.
However, small countries like Shizong and Milu can no longer hold on.
Originally, during the peaceful times, they had to pay tribute to the two ruling countries of Wuman and Da Changhe, and under the double layer of exploitation, the pressure was already great.
At the end of a year’s work, there was not much money and food left.
At this time, after fighting for a year, the country has sent troops, soldiers, money, and food, without seeing any harvest, which has also hindered farming, gathering, hunting, and herding.
Under such a large expenditure, they naturally complain incessantly and give birth to the idea of seeking new ways.
Just in time.
Da Changhe Country’s rule area is located between Dongting and Xichuan’s two prefectures, and a part of it is also connected with Yulin County, which is a barbarian country directly facing the Eastern Yang people.
And Shizong and Milu countries are located on the eastern border of this eastern region, adjacent to Shaoyang Prefecture of Dongting County, and have no few dealings with the Eastern Yang people of Shaoyang Prefecture during normal times.
So after hearing about the establishment of the Great Chu Country and even forcing the Heavenly Son of the Eastern Yang people to retreat, and the great reputation and strength of it,
These two countries began to have the idea of submitting internally.
And so there came the present arrival of the messengers.